11.24.2008

A legally obtainable medical formula with marijuana components may actually help Alzheimer's patients retain or enhance their memory, according to researchers at Ohio State University, led by Gary Wenk and Yannick Marchalant.

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is an active ingredient which appears to ease chronic inflammation in the brain associated with the development of memory loss. Presented at the 2008 Society of Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C., the researchers noted that once memory impairment is evident, the treatment would not be effective.

It is still true that excessive use of marijuana can cause short-term memory loss and have other side effects. The scientists advocate the development of neural pathway agonists that mimic the effect of THC through a legal, synthetic formulation.